Turnbuckles



G. W. PURDY Oct. 22, 1957 TURNBUCKLES Filed Feb. 12, 1953 Unite States Patet TURNBUCMES George W. Pnrdy, Laurelton, N. Y.

Application February 12, 1953, Serial No. 336,520

11 Claims. (Cl. 287--60) This invention concerns turnbuckles which are adapted to automatically lock themselves against rotation in one direction, wherein the barrel is held stationary with respect to one or both of the screw threaded members operable therein.

The object of my invention is to provide a turnbuckle of the type described in which the barrel and its cooperating parts remain in fixed relationship irrespective of stresses set up through constant tension on and/ or vibration of the several parts.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the turnbuckle from backing off, which means can be manually biased to permit such movement if desired.

Another object is to provide a turnbuckle which is capable of maintaining the tension imparted thereto through self operable means adapted for cooperation with the barrel at its outer ends.

Another object is to provide an article of the character described which requires no tools of any kind for operating same to lock or unlock it as the case may be, nor the attachment of any extraneous parts as is common in many prior art structures.

A further object is to provide a turnbuckle in which all the locking action occurs at the outer ends of the barrel and in which at least one of the screw threaded members fitted into the barrel has a flat longitudinal unthreaded section running therethrough so that the locking member may slide longitudinally therealong, so shaped as not to rotate thereon but therewith only.

Broadly my invention comprises a turnbuckle including a barrel internally threaded at both ends to receive oppositely threaded members therein, the ends of said barrel being shaped to receive the ends of a locking member which is resiliently placed and held thereagainst by a spring or other device which abuts, at its outer end, against the inner surface of a covering member provided with a bayonet joint adapted to receive a pin projecting laterally from said barrel.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of an assembled turnbuckle embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents in side elevation the component parts of the locking means, the cover being partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the face of the locking means which is adapted to contact at least one end face of the barrel, similar means being usually provided to contact both barrel end faces.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a detail in side elevation of one of the screw threaded members showing the unthreaded longitudinally extended section adjacent and extending through the threaded section.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the barrel 1 is internally threaded at both ends to receive the opposite ly threaded members 2 and 3. One of the members is provided with a left hand thread and one with a right hand thread so that when the outer ends of these members are held, the turning of the barrel 1 will increase or decrease the space between these members depending upon the direction of rotation. Barrel 1 is also provided with laterally extending studs 4 and 5 which are adapted to enter slots 6 and 7 to hold hollow covers 8 and 9 to barrel 1, the said slots and studs uniting to form a bayonet joint.

Covers 8 and 9 contain identical expansion springs denoted by 10, one end of said springs exerting force against enlarged portions 1112 of similar slidable members 13 andj14 to force the end faces of same against the outer ends of barrel 1 which are so shaped that when the barrel 1 is turned and the members 2 and 3 are held, the barrel 1 can be turned in one direction only because the end faces of barrel 1 are in sliding engagement with the end faces of the enlarged portions 11 and 12, the opposed faces operating in pawl and ratchet manner.

Slidable on the members 2 and 3 are the elements 13 and 14 which are prevented from turning on said members by their similar inner flattened portions 15, which, however, permit 13 and 14 to slide longitudinally along the members 3 and 2. As shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 the threaded members 2 and 3 are each provided with longitudinal flat sections 17' and 18 which bear no threads, these sections permitting the longitudinal sliding of elements 13 and 14 meanwhile preventing same from rotation on members 2 and 3 as above set forth.

The assembly of one end of my device is as follows; that of the other being identical:

The cover 9 is provided with its spring 10 and inside the spring 10 is inserted the reduced portion 13 attached to 11. In this instance the spring 10 abuts the inner end surface of 9 and the outer surface of 11 adjacent the reduced portion 13, the latter being located to extend through an opening 19 in member 9. The member 3 is then inserted through the member 13 and spring 10 so that its unthreaded section corresponds and slidingly contacts the flat 15. The threaded end of 3 is then screwed into the barrel 1 as shown in Fig. 1. Cover 9 is then secured to barrel 1 by compressing spring 10 until the slot 7 will receive the pin or stud as shown in Fig. 1. As stated above the other end of the turnbuckle is similarly assembled.

When the barrel 1 is turned the faces of 11 and 12 are so shaped and located that they slidingly contact the shaped faces of barrel 1 and permit it to be rotated in a single direction only as the opposed faces engage and prevent any substantial reverse rotation.

Thus the turnbuckle may be used to adjust its length to put or relieve strain on a wire or guy aflixed to the members 2 and 3, and the locking mechanism described above will prevent the same from backing off until the faces of portionsll and 12, or either of them, are disengaged from the end faces of barrel 1 by compressing spring 10 to permit disengagement of the bayonet joints of covers 8 and 9 from studs 4 and 5.

It will be understood that the turnbuckle may be operated by disengaging one or both of the covers 8, 9 and also that a structure involving only one threaded member with its locking device is within the scope of my invention, the opposite end of the device being fixed in the latter case.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a simple and practically foolproof turnbuckle all the parts of which are easily accessible and which lends itself to manufacture in quantity.

Since it is evident that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, I do not intend to be limited to the embodiment herein shown and described except as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A turnbuckle comprising abarrel, internally threaded opposite end-sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said opposite end sections, a notched outer end face at each endof said barrel, and means slidably mounted on a threadedmember'and normally biased into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its ,barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in any direction.

2. A turnbuckle comprising abarrel, internally threaded opposite-end sections thereon, right and left hand partially threaded members rotatablymounted in said opposite end sections, notchedouter end faces on said barrel, and means slidably mounted on a threaded member and normally biased into contact with a barrel 'end to-lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction, the several parts being so constructed and-arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in any direction.

3. A turnbuckle comprising-a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said opposite end sections and having a longitudinal flat unthreaded section extending through the threaded section, a' notched outer 'end face at each end of said barrel, and means slidably mounted on a threaded member and normally biased "into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to' the barrel in one direction, theseveral parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in any direction.

4. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatablymounted in said opposite end sections, a notched outer'end face at each end of said barrel, and means slidably mounted on'a threaded member and normally biased into contact with a barrel end' to lock said means and its threaded member'against rotation with respect' to the barrel in one direction, said locking means conforming bn their innersurface to' the exterior shape of the threaded member and having a notched end adjacent and in sliding contact with the said barrel ends, the several parts being soconstructed and arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in any direction.

5. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said opposite end sections, a notched outer end face at each end of said barrel, and means slidably mounted on both threaded members and normally biased into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction, and means for resilientlyurging said locking means into locking engagement with said barrel ends, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in 'any direction.

6. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel,- internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right andleft hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said opposite end sections, a notched outer end face at each end of said barrel,

and means slidably mounted on a threaded member and normally biased into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction comprising an enlarged inner end, its reduced stern and a sleeve slidable thereon and provided with bayonet slot, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means is held in position to lock said sleeve which means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in any direction.

7. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said opposite end sections, a notched outer end face at each end of said barrel, and means slidably mounted on each threaded member automatically and normally biased into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face to permit rotation of its threaded member in any direction.

8. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said opposite end sections and having a longitudinal flatunthreaded section extending through the threaded sections, a notched outer end face at each end ofsaid barrel, locking means slidably mounted on'a threaded member and normally biased into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against' rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction, and means for biasing the locking means toward and into engagement'with'said barrel end faces, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contactwith' its barrel face by overcoming said biasing means to permit rotation of the threaded members in any direction.

9. A turnbuckle comprising a'barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said end sections, a notched outer end face at each end of said barrel, and means slidably mounted on and rotatable with a threaded member and normally biased into contact with a barrel end to lock said means and its threaded member against rotation with respect to the barrel in one direction, each locking member conforming on its inner surface to the exterior shape of the threaded member and having a notched end adjacent and in resilient sliding contact with the barrel ends, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that each locking means may be manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face by overcoming said biasing means to permit rotation ofits threaded member in any direction.

10. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand locking means may be mamially slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel face by overcoming said biasing means to permit rotation'of its threaded member in any direction.

11. A turnbuckle comprising a barrel, internally threaded opposite end sections thereon, right and left hand threaded members rotatably mounted in said end sections,

a notched outer end face at each end of said barrel, and

means slidably mounted on a threaded member and nor- References Cited in the file of this patent mally biased into contact a barrel and i0 IDS k said UNITED STATES PATENTS means and its threaded member against rotation wlth respect to the barrel in one direction, including means for V 392480 wPlteley et a1 1888 resiliently urging said locking means into locking engage- 5 2 32 Mlreault 1897 ment with said barrel ends, a cover for said resilient means Cambum June 1944 releasably held to said barrel, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that the locking means may be FOSEIGN PATENTS manually slid longitudinally out of contact with its barrel 781907 Austna 15, 1919 face by overcoming said resilient means to permit rota- 10 tion of the threaded members in either direction. 

